The Rule Breakers
by White Eyebrow
Summary: Tonks and Charlie Weasley scramble to save an unhatched dragon, and they're certainly not about to let those pesky school rules get in the way... This is another bit of fluff written for The Houses Competition, Year 5, Round One.


This story was written for _The Houses Competition,_ Year 5, Round One.

House: Gryffindor (The only house that matters)

Class Subject: Potions

Category: Standard

Prompts:  
[Speech] "How is it possible that someone as intelligent as (you/Name) can be so unfathomably dense?"  
[Object] Prefect Badge  
[Event] Quidditch try-outs

Word Count: 2388 (google docs)

* * *

The Rule Breakers

The last class of the week was over. Charlie Weasley was the first student out the door from Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class.

Charlie checked his pocket watch. _I still have time! _He ran to the grand staircase leading to the seventh floor of the North Tower. He arrived at Madam Trewlawney's Divination class, but it was already cleared out. He headed back downstairs in the direction of the kitchens. The halls had already flooded with students, making his task more difficult. Undaunted, his perseverance was rewarded when, on the third floor, he spotted a bob of bubble-gum pink amidst a sea of busy heads.

He came upon Nymphadora Tonks and grabbed her arm from behind. "Tonks! I need your help." Before she could even respond, he had already pulled her from the bustle of the main hall and into an adjacent corridor.

Sufficiently nonplussed, Tonks' hair magically changed from its usual pink to bright red. "Chuck? What's gotten into you?"

Charlie brandished his wand, invoking, "_Muffliato!_" before launching into his tale. "You see, I had to hide it, so I used a special Confundus Charm in order to make it look like a Quaffle, but Madam Hooch must've taken it this morning for the Hufflepuff Quidditch tryouts which are going on right now!"

"Slow down," Tonks said. "What exactly did Madam Hooch take?"

"My dragon's egg."

Tonks blinked. "You smuggled a dragon onto the grounds?"

"No, a dragon's _egg,"_ Charlie said. "I just needed to stow it inside the Quaffle closet until I could find a way to get it to the Forbidden Forest, but when I checked on it before my last class, it was gone."

She blinked. "And how did you plan on raising a dragon in the Forbidden Forest?"

"Don't confuse me with logic right now, girl; a Norwegian Ridgeback's life is at stake! We must act quickly!"

In spite of the privacy afforded by the Muffliato Charm, Tonks instinctively kept her voice low. "You do realize that I'm on thin ice with Professor Sprout already because of that to-do over the Venomous Tentacula last year?"

"And who helped _you_ break into her greenhouse in the first place?"

"You did—only because _I_ provided a diversion for Filch so you could sneak out into the Forbidden Forest without your brother Bill finding out."

"And that's why I came to you, Tonks; you eschew the rules."

"I have nothing against rules—the ones that aren't stupid, anyway."

"Look, the Hufflepuff tryouts are about to start, and if the Beaters get a hold of my egg, it could die," Charlie said. "So, are you going to help me, or not?"

Tonks rolled her eyes. "They are endangered..." And she relented. "I'm in. But, you owe me, Weasley."

"Brilliant!" He took her by the hand. "There's no time to lose!"

Stopping only long enough to get his broom for Tonks to borrow, the two students wasted no time beating the rush to the Quidditch field. In the stadium's common area, Charlie signed her in while she retired to the dressing rooms in order to requisition a practice uniform. She met Charlie at the atrium where the main doors opened to the playing field inside.

She approached, fumbling with the buttons on her lapel. "I just realized something… I don't know what I'm doing exactly."

"You know the basic rules, right?"

"Yes."

"I signed you up for the lead Chaser position." Charlie took possession of her borrowed broom, and he waved his wand over its shaft. He uttered the incantation, and magical sparkles settled on and dissolved into the wood's grain. "I know all of the basic drills, so I'm going to control your broom remotely from the stands. All you have to do is hold on to the Quaffle at the first opportunity. I'll then guide your broom behind the bleachers where I'll be waiting with a proper Quaffle that you can swap it out with." His Assistance Spell completed, he returned her broom. "If anyone complains, just say you were confused."

"That won't be a lie, because I _am_ confused."

"Don't you trust me, Tonks?"

"Trust is relative."

He chuckled. A single trumpet sounded on the field below, and the doors leading to the stadium grounds opened. Charlie sheathed his wand, and he unpinned the gold badge that was on his robe.

Tonks arched a curious pink eyebrow at this action. "What are you doing, Chuck?"

"I'm putting my prefect badge away; it doesn't feel right wearing it while I'm breaking so many rules."

"_Oooo,_ can I hold on to it for you?" She poked him playfully—"_Pleeeeease?"_—and she grabbed his arm and pulled him into her, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'll be your best friend."

Charlie sighed heavily as his shoulders slumped. "I suppose." And he handed the shiny object over.

"Ta." She merrily pinned the badge on the inside of her jacket. "I can feel the power of oppressive authority flowing through me already. Is this what being a prefect feels like?"

"Focus, Tonks." The trumpets blared again, and he looked toward the open entrance. "I think they're about to start."

Tonks mounted her broom. "Wish me luck." And she flew down to the field.

—oOo—

Madam Hooch blew her whistle, and the candidates took to the air. The Hufflepuffs were ordered to fly in a standard Delta formation. From his remote vantage point high up in the stands, Charlie flicked his wand, and Tonks banked to the right, expertly threading between the opposing goal posts, serving to divert the Bludgers away from the Seeker. The other Chasers took her lead. A second whistle blew, signaling that the Quaffle was now in play.

The spectators cheered.

Charlie smiled. _This could actually work! _He continued to flourish his wand, conducting Tonks' movements in keeping with Hufflepuff's predictable strategy. He didn't notice that he wasn't alone until it was too late.

Peeves, the mischievous spirit of Hogwarts, phased up to his neck from beneath the bench directly in front of Charlie, giving the appearance that a disembodied head was propped thus. "Weasley!"

Charlie yelped. _Oh, no!_ His concentration was consequently interrupted, and it caused his Assistance Spell to falter.

The Hufflepuff team captain was not happy. "_TONKS! GET BACK IN FORMATION!"_

"You're definitely a Weasley, but I can't figure out which one..." Peeves tapped his index finger against his pursed lips. "Are you Bill?"

"No."

"Percy?"

"No."

"Fred…? George?"

"No."

"Ron?"

"He's not even enrolled yet!"

"Ginny?"

"Merlin—Damn you, Peeves!"

"That's a lot of Weasleys... your parents couldn't keep their hands off each other, could they?" Peeves sneered. "Yes, when they were students, they were always off in some hidden corner of the castle, doing very naughty things."

Charlie's patience was at an end. "What are you doing here, Peeves? You're not supposed to be outside of the castle!"

Peeves frowned. "I'm not?"

"NO!"

"I wouldn't want to be labeled a rule-breaker." He shrugged. "I'll be off, then."

Peeves dissolved from view. Charlie could hear the Hufflepuff team captain shouting in frustration.

"_TONKS! YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!"_

The crowd jeered.

Charlie aimed his wand in Tonks' direction. However, before he could right her, Peeves returned, floating himself directly in front of the young wizard's wand and blocking his view of the field.

The restless entity folded his arms akimbo. "Now, I remember... You're the boring Weasley… the one nobody talks about." He smiled, showing his ghostly teeth. "Whatcha doin, Charlie?"

"Nothing."

"You're lying, boy."

"You're insane."

"And _you're_ cheating. I am made from mischief, and you reek of it. It draws me like a moth to your flame."

Charlie regarded the unkind spirit with pleading eyes. "Peeves, you may haunt me for the rest of the year; all that I ask is that you look away for five minutes!"

Peeves rubbed his chin as he contemplated the offer. "Deal." And he disappeared with a _pop._

Charlie breathed a sigh of relief. As the various onlookers turned their attention back to the field, Charlie casually levelled his wand again. _It's still not too late._

_POP!_

Before Charlie could reassert his spell, Peeves materialized once more, floating just above Charlie's head while waving his arms and shouting as loud as he was able:

"ATTENTION EVERYONE! CHARLIE WEASLEY IS _NOT_ CHEATING! DO NOT PAY ANY ATTENTION TO HIM! THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE! HE IS COMPLETELY INNOCENT! NO WRONGDOING HERE WHATSOEVER!"

Charlie shrunk his shoulders, hunched under the sheer weight of the spectators' attention in the immediate area. "Why, Peeves...? _Why?"_

Peeves shrugged. "You would be batty too if they cut _your_ part out of the movies like a used handkerchief…." The poltergeist blinked in a sudden realization. "Oh, wait—THEY DID!" Peeves laughed maniacally, and with his purpose fulfilled, he dissolved into the aether _never_ to be seen again… until the next round of the competition, anyway.

With Peeves gone, Charlie's attention returned to the events on the Quidditch field. He cursed at the sight of the players now in disarray.

"_TONKS! LET GO OF THE BLOODY QUAFFLE ALREADY!"_

"_CHUCK! HELP ME!"_

Charlie brandished his wand, and he resumed his magical control over Tonk's broom. He normalized her flight pattern, all the while extricating himself from the area unnoticed by the fascinated onlookers who were amused by Tonks' air show. After having her make a complete circuit around the stadium unchallenged, he directed her under the ramparts to meet her in a darkened area below the bleachers.

Once made steady, Tonks dismounted her broom. Shaken, she hugged him.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into that." They parted. "What happened out there?"

"Peeves happened."

Her brow furrowed. "He can leave the castle?"

He shrugged. "Did you get the Quaffle?"

With a smile, Tonks opened her robe, revealing the faux Quaffle wedged under her arm. Charlie immediately swapped it out for the real Quaffle that was stowed in the shoulder satchel he had been carrying. No sooner was the egg concealed when a presence startled them.

Madam Hooch floated down from her broom. "What in the blazes is going on here?" She hopped off, severely glaring at the shocked students.

Charlie gasped.

Tonks shrieked, dropping the Quaffle in her hand.

"Out with it." The teacher's eyes narrowed. "Are you two hiding something?"

_Pop!_

Once again Peeves made himself known, saying, "These delinquents were snogging, Madam Hooch." And just as quickly, he disappeared, parting with, "_White-Eyebrow-lied! He's-a-twit!"_

Silence returned to the scene, and the three of them looked about in trepidation of Peeves' continued antics. Madam Hooch held up a preemptive, quieting finger, and they waited a full minute.

Satisfied that Peeves was gone for good, Hooch said, "Is this true?"

"Yes, ma'am," Tonks said, capitalizing on the convenient out that Peeves' outburst afforded them. "Charlie and I have recently started dating. He was just cheering me on, and things must've gotten out of hand."

Madam Hooch raised an eyebrow at the young Gryffindor in confirmation. "Charles?"

He straightened, and illustratively put his arm around Tonk's shoulders. "Yes, it's true… Tonks is my girlfriend… we were going to snog, a lot… Er, because we can't keep our hands off each other… like my mum and dad—"

Tonks pinched his side, whispering, "Stop milking it."

"Sorry."

Madam Hooch sighed, weary, as she massaged her temples. "Off with you. Go snog on your own time—and keep it _above_ the neck!"

The couple left meekly, with Tonks in the lead.

As Charlie brushed past her, Madam Hooch caught a hold of his arm, saying, "For Merlin's sake, Charles, take her someplace nice next time."

He lowered his head in shame. "Yes, ma'am." And he followed Tonks out of the bleachers and away from the stadium.

In spite of the complications, it was a pleasant walk back to the castle. Arm in arm, they laughed as they recounted their respective experiences of the events that had just passed. All too soon, they found themselves near the kitchens on their way to the Hufflepuff common room.

They stopped at the entrance. "Thanks a ton, Tonks. I owe you one."

"Not a problem." She released his arm. "But, you should know, that that's _not_ a dragon's egg."

He frowned. "Are you sure? Fidgen said—"

"He lied to you: _caveat emptor,_ Chuck."

He retrieved the magically disguised egg, gauging its weight in his palm. "Bugger, this was all for naught!"

"I wouldn't say that." She casually hip-bumped him. "You're a fun date."

"_Date?_ Is that what you call that debacle?"

She snorted. "So, you're back on the straight-and-narrow path, I take it?"

"Yes," he said. "No more rule-breaking for me."

"I have something else of yours, then." She reached inside her jacket and pulled out his badge.

"Cheers." He took possession of the proffered object. "How did it wear?"

"Heavily… very heavily." She smirked as Charlie, having only one hand free, struggled to pin the badge on his robe. "Here, let me." She then assisted him.

Tonks took her time adjusting the badge over his broad chest. "Risking your prefect badge, let alone expulsion, all for an egg… Have you ever thought about putting all that energy toward something, or someone, else?" She regarded him with her round, hazel eyes.

"What could possibly be better than dragons?" he said, plainly. "They're truly fascinating creatures..."

She sighed, whispering to herself, "How is it possible that someone as intelligent as you can be so unfathomably dense?"

"To think if we could harness just a tenth of their magical potential, we could eradicate scores of magical maladies…."

She continued to mutter under her breath, "This is why I prefer older men."

"What did you say?"

"Nevermind." She walked toward the familiar still life. "Thanks for the adventure, Chuck. We should do this again sometime." The canvas magically swung open to allow her entry.

He smirked. "Does that mean when I'm ready to smuggle a proper Norwegian Ridgeback egg off the grounds, I can call on you?"

Her back to him, she didn't bother to look over her shoulder when she replied. "Sure, as long you have a proper plan to go along with it… this one was rubbish."

Tonks stumbled as she stepped through the threshold leading to the Hufflepuff common room. Charlie's smirk then broadened into a lopsided grin.

"_Whew…_ dodged another Bludger..."

* * *

_A/N: _

_Call me a twit, eh?! Screw you, Peeves! I'm glad they cut you!_


End file.
